>> THIS WEEK IN MINNESOTA MANY OF US TAKE TIME FOR GARDENING, ELECTING A NEW POPE, AND WATCHING OUR FAVORITE SPORTS TEAMS AND SORRY, PBS FANS, THE IMBERWOLVES AND TWINS ARE NOT A NEW KEN BURNS SPECIAL ABOUT ROMULUS AND REMUS.

IT'S TIME AGAIN TO CELEBRATE MOTHER'S DAY.

OR MOTHERHOOD, AS Y FRIEND NANCE SAYS, THE CAREFUL DISTRIBUTION OF GUILT.

NOW, THERE ARE BIOLOGICAL MOTHERS AND THERE ARE NURTURING MOTHERS AND THE TWO ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE, BUT THEY CAN BE.

STUDIES SHOW THAT A YOUNG PERSON NEEDS AT LEAST THREE SUPPORTIVE ADULTS IN THEIR EARLY LIFE WHO ARE NOT THEIR PARENTS.

FOR ME, IT WAS MISS RUSSELL, MRS. KELLER AND Mr. BEIHOFFER.

THEY HELPED ME FIND THE BALANCE IN LIFE, TO FEEL SECURE AND SAFE BUT THEY ALSO CHALLENGED, FOSTERED GROWTH MOTHERHOOD IS NOT FOR THE TIMID, AND I'VE BEEN TOLD MY BROTHER AND I WERE WHAT WAS CALLED “HANDFULS”.

WE WERE ALWAYS GOING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR SOMETHING DONE IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE.

ONE TIME WE PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT, IT WAS MY TURN TO GET STITCHES AND WERE RUSHING TOWARD THE FRONT DOOR WHEN WE HEARD THIS HONKING HORN, AND WE SAW A VAN WITH SIDE DOOR OPEN, AND THERE WAS A WOMAN HAVING A BABY RIGHT IN THE PARKING LOT.

SHE WAS ATTENDED BY A DOCTOR AND NURSE BUT THIS IS WHERE THE BABY WAS BEING BORN!

WHAT DREW OUR ATTENTION TO THE VAN WAS THE HONKING HORN, IN THE FRONT WERE TWO BOYS, ONE HONKING THE HORN AS FAST AS HE COULD AND THE OTHER, DUMPING THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT CONTENTS OUT THE WINDOW.

IN BETWEEN PUSHES, THE MOTHER WAS YELLING "RILEY, KNOCK IT OFF”.

AND I LOOKED OVER AT MY MOM AND HER JAW WAS HANGING OPEN AND I'M THINKING “SEE, MOM, YOU'VE GOT NORMAL SONS.” I LIKE TO THINK THAT WITH ALL THE COUNTLESS GALLONS OF MECRURICHROME, WONDERBREAD BAGS, SPAGGHETTIOS, SCIENCE PROJECTS, AND RIDES TO BAND, BASEBALL, AND PLAY PRACTICE, THAT MY BROTHER AND I REALLY HELPED MY MOTHER GROW INTO THE AMAZING MOM THAT SHE IS TODAY.

SO, YES, LET'S SHOW GRATITUDE FOR THE MOTHERS WHO BROUGHT US INTO THE WORLD AND ALSO THE OTHER MOTHERS WHO HELPED US NAVIGATE THE WORLD.

WHETHER IT'S THROUGH FLOWERS, A CARD, A KIND WORD OR A HUG.

OR SIMPLY GO OUT HONK A HORN AND EMPTY THE GLOV